How To: Fabric Covered Headphones

Technology nowadays is pretty mandatory, and you wonder how we actually did stuff without all the modern day help we have. My one problem with this is that designers of technology rarely set out to make it look pretty, and technology usually falls into one of two camps: 1. Basic looking or 2. Plain fugly. Sure I love my technology, but why can't it be as cute as the rest of my wardrobe? These fabric covered headphones are part of my solution.

This is one of those projects that kills two birds with one stone. I had some spare fabric left over, and one thing I hate is fabric I love going to waste. I always struggle to come up with ways to use it, but this is a quick project that requires an absolute minimum of fabric. Keep your eyes peeled for what I actually made with the rest of this fabric, which should hopefully be finished soon (if all disasters are avoided).

To cut your fabric to size, you will need to use a tape measure to measure across the width of your headphone band, as well as the depth of it (all the way around). If the band of your headphones is wider in the middle, remember to account for this. Add a couple of centimetres to both of these measurements, to account for seams and hems. Then, cut out your fabric according to your measurements. It should be a long rectangular shape.

Hem both of the shorter sides, either by hand or by machine. Press the seams of the long sides 1cm inwards.

Now you can start stitching your fabric in place. Simply fold your fabric over the headband, so that the pressed edges meet underneath, and sew the two together. It doesn't matter how messy your stitching is, as no one will be able to see it.

Continue hand stitching until all the fabric has been sewn together. Cut off your thread, and you've finished.

All that remains to be done now, is to celebrate your handiwork and have a bit of a dance (or head bang, whatever floats your boat).

I sound like the anti-hipster for saying this, but I've only just recently discovered The Black Keys. I know. I'm always getting onto things way after the event has passed. But I think this might be true love.

Do you have any ways of customising your technology? How do you use up fabric scraps?